


Five Words

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2014-10-16
Packaged: 2018-02-21 08:21:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2461349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College ends tomorrow, all of the stuff in Dean and Castiel's dorm room is packed up, and they're ready to get out into the world. Well, Dean's almost ready to get out there - he has something to tell his best friend first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Words

Dean was pacing outside of their dorm room of four years, socked feet making soft noises against the carpet. He'd told Cas that he was just stepping outside to get a soda from the vending machine at the end of the hall, but instead he was out in front of the door, pacing and shaking his head and wringing his hands.  _People probably think I'm fucking insane,_ Dean thought, stopping for a moment and rubbing his face with his hands. 

Castiel had already landed an internship at an editing company in  _New York_ , which was worlds away from Lawrence, which was Dean's destination; he'd spent four years at college, and still had no fucking clue on what he wanted to accomplish with his major. So he was just going back to his hometown and working at Bobby's Auto Repair, the same job he'd had all throughout high school. He was getting stuck in the past and Cas was just forging ahead, going on big-city adventures, hooking up with beautiful men and women, making tons of money and just doing everything that Dean  _wasn't._

They had never been away from each other before this. The two boys had been together pretty much since they'd been born, living on the same street and doing everything together since day one. They'd taken their first steps together, fallen down on bikes together, conquered their high school, explored the entirety of the forest behind Dean's house, had their first kisses, grudgingly attended school dances in matching suits (courtesy of their mothers), and, finally, gone to college together. Living with Cas for the past four years had been amazing - Dean was a neat freak, and he didn't mind. Castiel wasn't bothered by the loud music Dean liked, nor did he care about the late-night conversations about nothing and everything that Dean tended to start. Sure, they never really talked about  _feelings_ or any of that shit, but who cared? Not Dean.

Except he did care. After spending your entire life with someone and knowing them as well as you know yourself, he'd fallen a little bit in love. More than a bit, actually - Dean cared about Castiel in every way imaginable, wanted to tell him how much he needed him and how fucking  _wonderful_ of a person he was. Dean wanted to tell Cas _so many_ things, all of which were worthy to be in romantic comedies. 

But he couldn't.

He'd had hundreds of chances over the years, but he had never used one. Dean could admit it - he was a coward when it came to love. It was a dangerous, painful,  _fiery_ thing; love could make sparks fly and then burn you down in the process, make you float in a sea of devotion and heart and then _mercilessly_ drown you. It was terrifying, and he didn't want to think about it. Dean had pushed every tiny implication that he loved Cas as far back in his mind as possible, ignoring those little urges to brush Castiel's hair back or run his hands over his sides. He even tried to ignore the fact that almost all of his dates - women and men alike - from the past few years had either blue eyes or dark brown hair. Sam brought it up one day and it was like a punch to the gut.

It was one of those minuscule hints that _"Oh right, you're falling in love, dumbass"_  had sent Dean into the hallway in the first place. Cas had been sitting on his bed - the one farthest from the door and closest to the window, so he could see the stars at night - and checking over boxes again, making sure that everything was packed properly and that nothing would be left behind. Dean had been curled around his pillow, facing his roommate and pretending to sleep. In actuality, he'd been opening his eyes every now and then just to see Cas take out some stupid old trinket he'd obtained over the years and grin stupidly at it, placing it back gently in the box.  _  
_

Cas had pulled a silver ring out of the third box, and Dean had felt his own eyes widen when he saw it. It was a simple ring, a little tarnished on one side, small circles engraved around it. It also happened to be the birthday gift that Dean had given to Castiel when they were fourteen years old - the year Dean had realized his feelings weren't quite platonic. He'd just picked it up in a store, a pretty cheap gift overall. But something about it seemed to just scream  _Cas,_ and so he went inside and bought the dumb thing. 

The party had lasted a few hours, and he only gave it to Cas after everyone else had gone home. He was the only kid sleeping over, and they'd been watching a movie when he took it out and handed it to his friend. Dean hadn't even  _said_ anything - just placed it into Castiel's hand, hoping that the blush on his cheeks wouldn't show. His fingers were tingling where they had touched Castiel's, and he simply nodded when Cas had whispered a "Thank you, Dean". He remembered the whole thing as if it had happened yesterday, but Dean always assumed that Castiel had just thrown the stupid ring out.

Except there it was, eight years later, resting in a box of things that Castiel treasured so much he'd taken them all the way to college. 

He had picked up the shiny circle and cradled it in his palm, smiling softly as he put the band onto one of his fingers. His eyes were filled with something so open and  _caring;_ when Castiel had lifted the ring up and gently kissed the metal, Dean had been seconds away from rushing over and kissing Cas himself. Instead, he'd leaped up and sprinted to the door, shouting out that he had to "get a soda right fucking now or else I'll die". Dean had slammed the door shut before he could hear his roommate's response. 

And now there he was, pacing outside of their door, knowing that there was no way in  _hell_ that he could go back in and keep lying to Cas. There was no possible way that Dean could ignore it anymore, it had been too long and it felt like he was dying inside.  _You're supposed to tell your best friend everything. But how the fuck do you tell them you love them?_ Dean groaned, knocking his head on the wall. He pulled back, heart beat quickening when he realized that Castiel probably heard the noise and he would probably investigate and see Dean and ask him questions and  _shit-_

"Dean?"

His name on Castiel's tongue was so familiar that it felt like home. 

"Cas, can you go back in the room for a second?" Dean was surprised at the way he didn't stutter.

"What? Dean, is there-"

"Please, Cas."

Castiel gave him an odd look before nodding and turning back into the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Dean took a deep breath, squinting his eyes shut and letting the breath out quickly. He was trying to steel himself, trying to think of how to word it, what was he going to fucking  _say?_  

Swallowing, he put his hand on the door knob, turning it and stepping into the room. It was full of their packed-up stuff, cardboard boxes littering the floor. The only things yet to be packed away were their clothes for tomorrow and the bed sheets, a dark blue on Castiel's small mattress and simple white on Dean's. Cas was sitting on his bed, going through boxes again. The box in Castiel's lap moved to the floor, Cas standing and walking forward to apologize. Dean could practically  _see_ the apology on his lips - but he needed to talk first.

"I'm in love with you." 

He didn't stutter or pause. It just happened. Right as Dean shut the door, the moment Castiel started walking to him, they just escaped his mouth and went out into the world. Those five words filled up their small room, making it feel like it was even tinier than before. All of the unoccupied space seemed to be taken up by them, those  _words_ changing everything. One phrase, and everything was different. 

Castiel was staring at him. The blue in his eyes was bright, his cheeks colored pink. His hands were limp at his sides, feet rooted to the ground as he just  _stared_ at the other person, Dean just five feet away from him. Dean was fidgeting, wondering if it was a mistake.

"Cas, I'm sorry if I-" Dean stopped when Cas closed the distance between them, going from five feet of space to zero space in milliseconds. 

"You are so wonderful, Dean Winchester," Castiel whispered the words, his voice quiet. 

Dean's brain stopped functioning at those words, and he felt like his heart had stopped completely when Cas softly placed his lips over Dean's own. They were chapped, but warm -  _so_ warm. Castiel was like a line of heat against Dean's chest and sides, strong hands wrapping around his waist. Dean tilted his head slightly, gently tracing Castiel's lips with his tongue and wrapping a hand in his dark hair.  _Damn, he's got soft hair._  His other hand rested on the other boy's chest, heart beating rapidly against Dean's fingers. He wrapped his hand in the fabric, pulling Cas closer and sighing softly because Cas had  _experience,_ apparently. He could feel Castiel's smile against his lips, breaking away to grin back at him. 

"I happen to love you as well, Dean," His voice was still soft and gentle, eyes locked with Dean's. 

They were both smiling so much, they couldn't even kiss each other. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!  
> feedback is appreciated~  
> (also i have 20 drafts right now and i have no idea how to finish any of them oh gosh help me)  
> 


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